Think twice about what Mr. Dropmeoff and others say, even me! A rebuke to his review
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“Mr. Dropmeoff must be an amazing character; he begins his review citing a book - by a certain John A. Hobson - to make some argument that this is a nescient Podcast. Mr. Dropmeoff, the book is by John ***M.**** Hobson (the great-grandson of the aforementioned Hobson), and it was published by Cambridge. I have not read the “august” John M. Hobson’s book, yet I think that one would do better to not derive their entire historical conception from a single book. Before I begin my own “tirade” (which I promise will be more factual than Mr. Dropmeoff’s), I want to preface that I have only listened to two of these discussions and find them interesting, intelligible and – yes – slightly “Eurocentric.” Though Mr. Dropmeoff does not like this “Eurocentricity,” he may have forgotten that he wrote in English, chose to listen to an Australian Podcast, and last but not least, missed the other Podcasts and iTunes U lectures that deal with “Eastern” topics. Please, if you are looking for Middle Eastern, African, Far Eastern or any other non-European Podcast, by all means search for that instead.
I am only galled by a few of Mr. Dropmeoff’s assertions, namely that “Germanics” did not influence the development of Europe or European history. As a student of German history, who is pursuing academia, I hear many anti-Western claims; fine. Nevertheless, this claim sounds entirely pseudo-intellectual, or “Modern Jackass” if you listen to This American Life. Because I am not a Greek historian, I will not speak of it. Roman interaction with “Germanic peoples” began in the second century BCE! And that is just recorded interaction. That means Rome was troubled – and helped! – by “Germanic peoples” for seven centuries or so. If this is not influential in shaping Europe, what is? Most of these peoples came from Jütland, Mr. Dropmeoff, which is the area where Denmark currently lies. Have you heard of the Gallic Wars Mr. D? Well let’s see now, if Gaius Julius Caesar was fighting these SAME “Germanic peoples,” and Gaius Julius was the “destroyer of the Republic and founder of the Empire,” one could infer that because of his success against “Germanic peoples” the Roman Empire was founded. Influential? I’d say so. Read Res Gestae Divi Augusti (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus) and one can see that major problems caused by the peoples of Germania. So anyway, there are myriad examples I could spout off, but this has already become trite.
No historian rebuts the great significance of Eastern philosophy and technology. In my history department we jokingly tease mathematicians, “try Calculus in Roman Numerals.” Nevertheless, because the East was significant does not mean that Europe’s success is some kind of by-product that is inextricably linked to the East. Remember: History is the ebb and flow of cultures, philosophies, technologies and more; everything that has ever happened is significant in shaping WORLD HISTORY. East influences West, and vice versa.
One last note and I will shut up; Mr. D, I am not trying to denigrate you too much, because most people obtain their notions from something they hear and then use it every chance they can, without really knowing anything about it. Now, I do not know if you used a thesaurus or heard it somewhere else, but your use of “hermetically-sealed vacuum” is redundant. Vacuum in itself means lacking everything, including air. Weather-stripping can be hermetic, or maybe a water bottle, but vacuums are hermetic in essence. And who ever suggested that Europe was “hermetic?”
Though this was pedantic in nature, I hope this review helped people see that Mr. D has good intention to be “open minded,” yet he is bigoted and “revisionist” himself because he so ardently decries others. Oh, and the Podcast is not half-bad, either.”Read full review »
SpencerLH1 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
07/26/08
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KS-apple via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
05/21/23
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“I think the topics and discussions are great. Some of the speakers are great and some… seem to be the iconic issue that the greater speakers have talked about. From Hearing about racial injustice to hearing complacent racial undertones by the notability white commentators is an interesting...”Read full review »
Brokentusk via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
12/08/21
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